The etiquette of reclining seats on flights

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="introduction" id="story_continues_1" style="clear: left; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <img alt="Man on plane" height="351" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77180000/jpg/_77180116_passenger_thinkstock.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-style: italic; position: relative;" width="624" /></div> <div class="introduction" id="story_continues_1" style="clear: left; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A US flight had to be diverted after one passenger prevented another from reclining her seat, according to reports. When is it acceptable to lean back at 30,000ft, asks Jon Kelly.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">You can see the nervous glances on any flight when the seatbelt light is pinged off, as each passenger anxiously wonders: "Do I have a recliner in front of me? Are my precious seven inches of legroom safe?"</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Incursions into personal space are a familiar source of aggravation at high altitudes. So it's not surprising that, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/aug/26/plane-diverted-as-passengers-fight-over-seat-reclining?commentpage=1" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">according to reports,</a> a United Airlines flight from Newark to Denver was diverted when a passenger prevented the woman in front of him from leaning back using a $21.95 (£13) lock called a <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/ampp3d/knee-defenders-what-really-necessary-4108447" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Knee Defender.</a> The plastic clips go on the metal arms of the tray table, physically preventing the seat in front from being reclined. The clips come with a card that can be given to affected passengers to explain the motivation of the user.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">After the passenger allegedly refused requests from cabin crew to remove the Knee Defender, the un-laid back fellow traveller in front allegedly hurled a glass of water at him.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The man's methods may be extreme, but some travellers - unable to work on their laptops, eat, or simply enjoy the meagre proportions of economy class to the full as a result of leaners-back - will sympathise. For some time now, a backlash against reclining has been under way.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Earlier this year, a frequent business traveller's <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140218190747-10878085-airline-recliners-cease-and-desist?trk=mp-edit-rr-posts" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">call for a "revolt"</a> against reclining seats went viral. A survey by Skyscanner in 2013 <a href="http://www.skyscanner.net/news/calling-time-reclined-airline-seats" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">suggested</a> nine out of 10 travellers wanted to see them banned. Another poll for CabinCrew.com indicated that more than 60% of international cabin crew had observed an argument between passengers as a result of them.</span></div> <div class="caption full-width" style="clear: both; float: none; margin: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="Woman asleep on plane" height="351" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77180000/jpg/_77180121_asleep_thinkstock.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-style: italic; position: relative;" width="624" /></span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It's not just the manufacturers of the Knee Defender that have sought to capitalise. In May Monarch Airlines announced <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/aviation/10865861/Reclining-seats-banned-by-Monarch-Airlines.html" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">plans to scrap reclining seats,</a> following the example set by Ryanair.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But recliners can offer reasonable excuses. They may be very tall or affected by other physical impairments. On a red-eye, different rules apply - everyone wants to maximise their chances of catching an hour or two of sleep.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">So what to do? The advice <a href="http://www.debretts.com/british-etiquette/transport-travel/aeroplanes#sthash.mpDkUewS.dpuf" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">offered by Debrett's</a> is to "ease your chair gently into a reclining position, which will avoid a sudden invasion of the limited legroom of the passenger behind".</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Etiquette expert Jean Broke-Smith takes a firmer line. On overnight flights there is a tacit understanding that everyone will lean back when the lights go off, she says. On long-haul journeys it is acceptable. Otherwise, she says, "I think it's very rude." She adds: "At the very least, you should turn around and say, 'Excuse me' first."</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Asking passengers to talk politely to each other? Fasten your seatbelts now, please.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Please let us have your views on reclining during flight.</strong></div> <div> <strong style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></strong></div> </div>

The etiquette of reclining seats on flights

A US flight had to be diverted after one passenger prevented another from reclining her seat, according to reports. When is it acceptabl...

Read more »